Improvement in grain-binders



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. CURTIS.

GRAIN-BINDER.

No.188,861. Patented March 27,.1877.

, W Mm \n/ WITNESSES ya V.

.Attorneys N PETERS, FHDTO-UTHOGRAFHER, WASHNGTOM D C.

Z Sheets-Sheet Z.

H. CURTIS.

GRAIN-BINDER. No. 188,861, Patented March 27,1877.

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T I 3 5 5 E 3; I s i v'nr G 3 c WITNESSES V ZZZ%%W Y 2;? VEJIV' 102%945% NPEIERS, PNOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTONv D C To all whom it mayconcern:

UNITE STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY CURTIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-BINDERS- Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 188,861, dated March 27, 1877; application filed July 17,1876.

Be itknown that I, HENRY Courts, of Ohicago, in the county of Cook, andin the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Grain-Binders; and do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a grain-binder, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, l'will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, in which-Figurelis a plan View of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, andFig. 3 a side eleva tion, of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of apart thereof.

My grain-binder is operated bypower from the main shaft of theharvesting-machine, either by gear-wheels or chain-belt, that will givemotion to the crank-shaft that operates the binding attachment.

A is the frame-work, in suitable boxes upon which the crank-shaftB isplaced. From this crank-shaft pitmen or connections 0 (J lead to a bar,E, connecting the lower ends of two side levers, D D, which are pivotedto standards G G on a frame or platform, H.

The pitmen or connections 0 U are placed at some distance apart, and thecrank-shaft braced, so that it will allow the'whole binding arrangementto move backward or forward, so as to bind the right distance from thebutts of the grain, as circumstances may require, when the grain is longor short.

The frame or platform 11 moves on two rods, ca. running through gibsattached to the frame.

The operation of the pitmen 0 gives a swinging and easy motion to theside levers D D, which levers operate the binding and compressing arms II, said arms being attached to hollow tubes 1) b, and secured inposition by a rod, (1, running through them and through horizontal slotsin the upper ends of the standards, as well as through vertical slots inthe upper ends of the swinging levers, and secured by a nut, e, toprevent the levers from slipping 05 the end of the rod.

It will be seen that as the crank revolves it will vibrate the sidelevers, and as the rod across the top is loose in the slots and connectsthe upper ends of the swinging levers, said rod will vibrate across themachine, and as the binding and compressing arms I I are attached to thetubes b b, they carry the bundle away from the grain which isaccumulating from the apron to the outside and off the machine.

At the outer end of each of the tubes 1) b is a short lever, h, one endof which has a pin or roller, '5, that runs in a groove, w, parallelwith the slot that guides the rod d, and as the rod moves backward orforward this short lever strikes against a pin or friction-roller, f, atthe end of the grooves, at a point above or below the center of theturning-point, and as the rod and tubes are carried along toward the endof the slot, it will roll the tubes on the rod, and open or close thebinding-or compressing arms. The pin 6 on this short lever describes ancecentric circle, and at the end of the vibration it hasagain reachedthe groove 00 by running upon an incline, 3 that presses it back againsta spring, 2, on the opposite end of the lever, which also throws it withcertainty into the groove, ready to perform the same operation at theother end, of the vibration.

The device for twisting the wire after it has been passed around thebundle is, by a small cog-wheel, J, held in position between two racks,K and L, for it to mesh into. The rack L is movable, and operatedthrough gibs by a lever, M, on the under side of the table orbinding-frame by connecting with one of the side arms oscillating on apin at a distance sufficient to give the required movement.

The twister or cog wheel J has a flange, m, on its upper and lowersides, projecting beyond the cogs, to keep it in place without the useof a center, which would interfere with the twisting.

The spool containing the supply of wire is to be supported at a point ashigh as the binding-arms, and the wire is passed through the extreme endof the binding-arm and. down to the twister-wheel J which has two slots,1:. n,

on opposite sides, running toward the center, in one of which slots thewire is fastened by a suitable clamping arrangement.

The grain, as it comes from the apron of the harvestingmachine,accumulates on the apron of the binder, between the wire which is fastin the twister and the binding-arm, and as the arms move forward the armwith the wire passes over and around the bundle, and carries the wiredown into the opposite slot of the twister-wheel, and as the arms moveback with the bundle motion [8 given to the twistingwheel, and at theend of the vibration the Wire is out off, releasing the bundle,retaining the end of the wire, and ready for another operation.

12 is a shaft, provided with a series of curved or bent teeth, 8,forming a separator or cut-off, for the purpose of holding the grain asit comes from the elevator long enough to make a division for thebinding-arm to pass through unobstructed to connect the wire with thetwister, and as soon as the bundle is started back and being bound, theteeth s are drawn back again, and allow the grain to accumulate foranother bundle.

This separator or cut-oh is placed under the binder-apron N, a littlebelow the top of the elevator, and the teeth are made to work out andback through the slots in said apron by means of an eccentric, t, on thecrank-shaft B, connected by a rod, 0, with an arm, v, projecting fromthe shaft 12, for giving it the required movement, and at the propertime.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the crank-shaft B, pitmen (J O, swinging sidelevers D D, and rod E with the binding and compressing arms carried bysaid levers, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination of the binding and compressing arms I I, tubes b b,rod d, slotted standards G G, and slotted swinging levers D D,substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. In combination with the tubes b b, carrying the arms I I, the leversh, with projecting pins i, the standards G, with grooves as, projectionsf, inclines y, and springs 2, all constructed and arranged to operatesubstantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. The combination of the stationary rack K, the movable rack L, and thetwister J, all constructed substantially as and for the purposes hereinset forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this25th day of May, 1876.

HENRY CURTIS. Witnesses:

T. ()RMSBEE, H. ODELL.

